Caster truck



March 16, 1943. w. E. DALEY 2,314,129

l CASTER-TRUCK Filed Feb. 6." 19 4o INVENTOR. W//bm f. a/ey Patented Mar. 16, 1943 UNIT-ED STATES PATENT OFFICE cAs'rEn TRUCK William E. Daley, Alameda, Calif.

.Application February s, 1940, serial No. 317,540

(ci. 28o-s1) v3 Claims.

The invention relates to a caster-truck or dolly such as used for supporting and moving stoves, refrigerators, pianos. and other heavy articles, over a floor of a dwelling or salesroom.

An object of the invention is to provide 'a truck of the character described which will be light, compact, and capable of handling relatively large and heavy articles, andvyet will require a minimum lifting or raising of the article to permit the truck Ato be operatively inserted under the base or leg of the article.

Another object is to provide a truck of the character described which will support the leg or base of the article in such manner that there will be no danger of the article becoming dislodged on the truck, or set thereon to induce a tilting of the truck o r mar the surface of the portion of the article in contact with the truck.

A further object is to provide a truck with the above advantages which can be manufactured at low cost.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forthv in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawing and description may be adopted withinv the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan View of the truck of my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the truck.

Figure 3 is a Vertical sectional view of the truck as taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a plan view of a set of the trucks shown operatively supporting an object.

As illustrated in the drawing, the caster-truck of my invention comprises a body 5 which includes what may be conveniently termed an article supporting portion or plate 6 and article abutment portions 1. The plate is preferably of triangular form and has two sides 8 at right angles to each other and with the remaining side 9 at equal angles to adjacent sides.

Extending upwardly from the sides 8 of the plate and preferably formed integrally with the plate are flanges I2 which likewise are disposed at right angles to each other and designed to serve as guards or stops against which the article supported on the plate may abut so as to hold the article against displacement on the plate. It is important that the flanges I2 present opposed surfaces or abutments at yright angles, as in this manner both of the vertical surfaces of the corner of a square or rectangular article or leg thereof, or of any member having vertical outer surfaces at right angles, such as in practically all modern stoves and refrigerators, will have a rm backing against lateral displacement and there will be no danger of the article or leg thereof slipping oil` the truck, or shifting upon surfaces of different levels on the truck, so as to tend to tilt the truck, or cause a marring of the surface of the article due to the shifting thereof.

'I'he plate portion 6 of the body is arranged to lie relatively close to the ground and in order that an 'article may be transferred from the ground to and -upon said plate with a minimum raising or lifting of the article, the entire side 9 above the plate is left entirely unobstructed. With this arrangement, as Amay be readily seen, the article need only be raised to substantially the level of the top surface of the plate to permit the appropriate body portion of the truck to be inserted thereunder. Desirably a reenforcing flange I3 is provided along the open side of the plate, but as is clear from Figures 2 and A3, such flange extends downwardly and below the plate so as to leave the body entirely open and unobstructed at said side. As will be evident, the provision of the various ilanges adds considerably to the rigidity of the body permitting of thefsame being formed of a lighter gauge metal for providing a given strength and sturdiness.

The body is designed to be supported preferably upon three casters I5, I6 an-d I1, which are positioned in general at the corners of the body. The casters I5 and I6 are carried at the opposite ends of a bar I4 which is ilxed to the underside of the body plate and extends along but inwardly of the open side 9 and flange I3. The end portions of the bar are extended from the body to provide arms I8, each having an upwardly extending portion I9 and an outwardly extending portion 2|. The casters I5 and I6 are carried by the portions 2l and are provided with pivot pins 22 which fit in bearings 23 in such portions, and the Vertical portions I9 are positioned suiciently inward of the bearings that the caster Wheels may revolve completely about the pivot pin. As will be clear from Figure 1, a line intersecting the pivotal axes of the casters lies inwardly of the side 9 of the plate. In this manner an article, even if supported close to the open side 9 of the plate, will have its weight readily distributed to these casters without danger of the body tilting toward the front Vor open side of the truck. At the same time, there will be no protuberances at the open side of the truck to interfere with the positioning of the truck closev or practically against the article before it has been placed upon the truck. The caster l1 is preferably carried upon a bar 26 which is rigidly secured under and to the plate and extends at right angles to the bar I4 and o-utwardly from the bodyrat the 4juncture ofthe toppflanges I2; The portion ofthe b ar 26 whichextends from the body is inV the form of an arm 21 similar to the arms I8 and has provided in the horizontal of, and casters carried by each of said arms positioned to support said body in spaced relation to the surface upon which the casters may be resting.

2. A truck of the character described comprising, a body including an article supporting plate of triangular form with a pair of adjoining sides at right angles, article abut-ment flanges extending upwardly from the said sides and coextensive therewith, a reenforcing portion for said plate exclusively below andf'along said plate at the lfree side thereof, an varm extending from said .t body at the adjoining ends of said anges and 'comprising upwardly and outwardly extending portion thereof a bearing 28 for the pivot p'in'" In Figure 4 I have shown a typicalusel'of a."v

set of casters in transporting vornioving an arti: cle such as a refrigerator 3l. vIt will benoted that a casteris positioned under. each corner. of Athe article and sothat the flangeseach engage the sides of `the base or legsfofthe articles With This arrangement. of the portions, arms extending in substantially opposed directions from said body adjacent the free side "of said plate; and casters carried by each of the 'Y outwardly extending portions of the arms.

the articlethus supported all of the Vadvantages l heretofore `pointed o ut in .connection `withv my device will be had..

ing, a body; having a supporting surface oftri angular form provided-.with upwardly extending body at the junctureofsaid: first sides, arms extending laterally in substantially opposeddirec- .tions from sai-d b ody adjacent the open side there- 3. A truck of the character described comprising', -a' body with a triangular horizontal plate @having .two sides. atstright angles to each other,

anges.extendingfrupwardly.from said sides and haying'adjoiningends a ange extending entireand .secured -to,said Y'plate inwardly and parallel to Asaid lastzside, and having portions at its opposite ends lying 'without said body and extending rsxt upwardly ther outwardly therefrom, a bar extending from undersaid plate at right angles to said. first bar-and. the. juncture of said first filanges'and portions at the outer end corresponding .witli`,`the -first bar,'a caster pivot bearing in each ofthe outwardly extending'portions of said yliars, and casl'ter's'rnounted in said bearings.

" WILLIAM E. DALEY. 

